Vdiq ne moshen 57 vjec futbollisiti i njohur brazilian Socrates,

 
 
 
Njeriu me emrin me te gjate ne bote Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza  
Vieira de Oliveira


Ex-Brazilian soccer star Socrates dies at 57


 
 
 Socrates, seen in this May 18 file photo, starred for  Corinthians in the 
early 1980s, but he also played for Flamengo, Santos and  Fiorentina in 
Italy. ) 

 
 



 
Former Brazil great Socrates, the clever playmaker who captained the 
country  at the 1982 World Cup, died Sunday. He was 57. 
Known for his elegant style on the field and his deep involvement with  
Brazilian politics, Socrates died of septic shock resulting from an intestinal  
infection, according to a statement by the Albert Einstein hospital. 
He had been rushed to the hospital on Saturday — the third time in four  
months — and had been in critical condition in an intensive care unit, 
breathing  with the help of a ventilator. 
The hospital said Socrates died at 4:30 a.m. Brazilian time (0630 GMT). 
Socrates was twice hospitalized and placed in intensive care in the last 
few  months, most recently in September. Both times he was admitted for a 
hemorrhage  caused by high pressure in the vein that carries blood from the 
digestive system  to the liver. 
Socrates acknowledged being a heavy drinker, even when he starred as a 
player  in the 1980s, but said he stopped drinking earlier this year after his 
stints in  the hospital. 
Dozens of Brazilian footballers expressed their sadness on Twitter moments  
after Socrates' death was announced. 
"Sad start to the day," retired Brazil striker Ronaldo wrote. "Rest in 
peace  Dr. Socrates." 
Former Brazil and Barcelona playmaker Rivaldo added on his Twitter page: 
"Sad  to wake up and find out that Socrates has died." 
Reaction came from those outside of football, too, including three-time  
French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten and three-time Indy 500 winner Helio  
Castroneves. 
"Great guy," Castroneves tweeted. "A Brazilian who will be greatly  
missed." 
The Brazilian football federation said the final round of the Brazilian  
league on Sunday will be played in Socrates' honour. All matches will be  
preceded by a minute of silence. Corinthians, the team that featured Socrates at 
 the height of his career, needs a draw against rival Palmeiras to win the 
title.  Corinthians' main fan group said it will honour its former star 
throughout the  day. 
Fiorentina, another of Socrates' former clubs, said it would hold a minute 
of  silence and wear black armbands in his honour for Sunday's Italian 
league match  with Roma. 
"He was a very dynamic player with a sublime foot but most of all great  
intelligence," said former Italy forward Paolo Rossi, who scored a memorable 
hat  trick against Brazil and Socrates at the 1982 World Cup. "Along with 
Zico and  Falcao he was the symbol of that Brazil squad. 
"Socrates seemed like a player from another era," added Rossi, according to 
 the ANSA news agency. "You couldn't place him in any category — on the 
pitch and  even more so off it. Everyone knew about his degree in medicine and 
he had a lot  of cultural and social interests as well. He was unique from 
every point of  view." 
'Not just about the game'
Indeed, Socrates stood out on and off the field. He became a doctor after  
retiring from football and later became a popular TV commentator and 
columnist,  always with unique and controversial opinions. He never denied his 
fondness for  drinking, from the time he was a player until his final days. 
Socrates wrote a series of columns for The Associated Press during the 2011 
 Copa America in Argentina, expressing his views on all aspects of the  
tournament, including economic and political issues in Latin America. 
"It's not just about the game itself," Socrates said before the competition 
 began. "Before anything, (football) is a psychological battle, the human 
aspect  plays a significant role." 
Since his playing days, Socrates never kept his political ideas to himself  
and often wrote about the subject in his columns. Known as Dr. Socrates 
because  of his practice of medicine, he was the main commentator on a weekly 
TV sports  program and was constantly in demand from local media for 
interviews on varied  subjects. 
While with Corinthians, Socrates spearheaded a movement called the  
Corinthians Democracy, in which players protested against the long periods of  
confinement required by the club before matches. It quickly became a broader  
protest that coincided with Brazil's fight to overturn a military regime in 
the  1980s. 
Socrates, whose full name is Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de 
 Oliveira, starred for Corinthians in the early 1980s, but he also played 
for  Flamengo and Santos, as well as Fiorentina in Italy. 
The tall full-bearded playmaker captained Brazil in the 1982 World Cup in  
Spain and was a member of the squad in 1986 in Mexico. The 1982 Brazil team  
became widely known as the best not to win a World Cup. With players like 
Zico  and Falcao, it fell to Italy 3-2 in the second round despite needing 
only a draw  to advance to the semifinals. 
Socrates was included in FIFA's list of the best 125 living soccer players 
in  the world, a list compiled by countryman Pele. Socrates played 63 
matches with  the national team, scoring 25 goals. 
He was known for his great vision on the field. Always clever with the ball 
 at his feet, his trademark move was the back-heel pass, and he set up and 
scored  many goals with it throughout his career. 
Socrates briefly coached and played for Garforth Town in England in 2004. 
Socrates' younger brother Rai was another great Brazilian midfielder, and 
he  helped Brazil win the 1994 World Cup in the United States. 
He is survived by his wife and six  children.